IK Multimedia T-Racks Classic Equalizer

The IK Multimedia T-Racks Classic Equalizer is a plug-in that comes in the newest version of T-Racks 3. It is modeled after the equalizer that is found in T-Racks 2. The plug-in is also available as a single plug-in if you want to buy it outside of T-Racks 3. The process of installing T-Racks 3 as a whole was easy enough, but I can't say anything about installing this as an individual plug-in. The interface of the plug-in consists of six bands, including a high and low pass on both ends. The four middle bands have parameters for gain and frequency, with the most middle two also have knobs for gain. There is a graph that is easily manipulated on it's own if you don't want to use the knobs. Lastly, there is a knob for overall output level and a bypass switch. I haven't seen a manual for this plug-in individually, and I'm not sure if there is specifically something on this plug-in in the T-Racks 3 manual.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Right now I'm running T-Racks 3 and the IK Multimedia T-Racks Classic Equalizer plug-in on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I run the plug-in both in T-Racks 3 as standalone software and in Pro Tools LE 8 as an RTAS plug-in. For Pro Tools LE 8, I have a Digi 002R audio interface. All of the plug-ins in T-Racks 3 take up a decent amount of processing power, as is the case with this one. It doesn't seem to take up as much processing power as some of the other T-Racks 3 plug-ins do, but you would still like it to be possible to run it without taxing your system as much as it does.

OVERALL OPINION

While the IK Multimedia T-Racks Classic Equalizer is a useful plug-in, it isn't one that I would ever recommend buying outside of T-Racks 3. It's definitely nice to have it when you get T-Racks 3, but as far as getting it as a single individual plug-in, I don't think it's worth the price. I'd recommend going with the Linear Phase EQ plug-in that is also included in T-Racks 3 if you're going to buy one of the T-Racks 3 plug-ins individually. The Classic Equalizer definitely has a clean sound quality and is great for equalizing of all kinds, but I'm not able to run one on every channel because of how much processing power it takes up. For this reason I often end up using other equalizers. If you're interested in this plug-in, I'd encourage you to go with buying T-Racks 3 as a whole.

Installing IK Multimedia T-Racks EQ was quick and easy. I had no compatibility errors and it has been running smoothly since I installed it. The interface is extremely easy to follow and there is really nothing complicated about this plug-in. I don't have a manual so I can't speak to how useful it is or not.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I run the T-racks EQ on my Mac Book Pro with a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I use it in Pro Tools LE 7.4 with a Digi 002R audio interface. It has always run flawlessly on this set up and I am able to run a few of these at once. It is a simple plug-in which doesn't take up too much of your processing power and is a great sounding EQ as well.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had this plug-in for two years and it has become a great tool in my arsenal as far as equalization goes. The ease of the interface makes it easy to do what I want it to do. The sound quality is good and it is definitley a good option when looking to use an EQ plug-in. I have used it on everything from vocals to drums. It also sounds good on electric guitars. In terms of drums, I like it on all types - kick drum, snare drum and tom toms, as it is easy to manipulate and get the sound I am looking for. While I use it mostly for these applications, this is a good overall EQ and can be used on just about anything you'd like. It is comparable to the Digidesign EQ III plug-in that comes free with Pro Tools, but it a little better sounding to my ears. While it isn't free, it is sold at a cheap price and is worth it to me to have another option like this in my DAW - this is definitely worth a look.